It is a marvelous book, a perfect overview of the forensic sciences and a highly detailed portrait of the complex ecosystem of dead bodies. Not for the squeamish. The descriptions are extremely colorful (roiling masses of chunky maggots, decay fluids, bloat stages, etc). You’ll learn how far a maggot mass can move a hollowed out body, which bugs prefer the soupiest corners of a corpse, the Latin names for flesh flies and cheese skippers and much much more.

If you had a hard time reading that, I'd suggest not getting the book.

Stiff, by Mary Roach, is another great book about the life of cadavers I'd recommend without hesitation. Decidedly more irreverent and packed full of fun morbid factoids one may regale guests with at the next dinner party.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

Yes, I have, many times! I loved it! In tone, though, it's kind of the opposite of Corpse. While Sachs is reserved and respectful, Roach has a much more pointed gallows' humor and cheeky approach. If one finds that sort of attitude upsetting, I'd skip this book.

Roach wrote another book that may be closer to what Light Angel was asking for called Spook. It's about ghost-hunting and the search for the human soul and whatnot. A subject I have mixed emotions about. I think the scientific quest for this knowledge is fascinating and, of course, love a good mystery. But, at the same time, it seems to easily blur into quackery.

Maybe not "exploitative" by legal standards, some of this stuff clearly preys on the heart strings of people who have suffered terrible loss. When I see parents who've lost a child, for example, go after the Great Beyond with a dogged determination and unwavering faith that rivals the most rabid religious zealot it is clearly costing them more than their retirement fund. It's costing them quality of life. Certainly their prerogative and none of my business really but I do think it's sad. Caveat emptor.

_________________________"What happens in the shadow, in the grey regions, also interests us – all that is elusive and fugitive, all that can be said in those beautiful half tones, or in whispers, in deep shade." ~ The Brothers Quay

Thank you, for the quick review and other suggestions! Roach's approach on the topic won't bother me so I think I might pick up both books.

On the search for the human soul, I think that will eventually be found to be functioning fields of the living human instead of something that keeps going once we expire, but those are just my thoughts and not an expert opinion whatsoever.

Mine would be the second part of Stephen King's "Under The Dome" (at least in my country it was released as a two-tome set), an electronic eGo cig (a tad healthier than regular cigarettes, much cheaper to smoke regularly, no bad smell on your clothes and in the room, no ash, you can smoke it in bars, transportation vehicles and restaurants) and a hand-made clay pot for my oven, in which food cooks itself, becomes tastier and offers a chance for experimenting with a wide range of meals. A crystal (plastic actually) backlit pyramid with a sphinx and some liquid inside, an upside-down huge crucifix and a fire-breathing dragon figure - all these for my decompression chamber.

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Man, I can look at photos of Me for hours! Honestly, I love it!

First, I'd like to make a note that I don't know if I used the word 'pot' in a propper manner - in Bulgarian it's called a clay pot. This is what I mean:

Food turns out fantastic, in this kinda pot (because you put it in the oven - not on the stove's hot plate - and originally when there was yet no electricity it was invented to be put in/above the fire of a furnace/firebox). Cooking in it is meant to last at least 2-3 hours (up to a day for beans or those types of meat that would usually take forever to get cooked) on a low temperature - the products get processed very well and the ingredients and spices that you put there absorb each other's flavor perfectly. Also, you don't have to use that much sunflower, olive oil or other fats (I use butter though mainly because of the flavor), it can't get overburned, it's like a natural steam capsule. Definitely my favourite way to prepare meals. I had an old one but my dad damaged it because (due to my numerous warnings) he decided to put it on the hot plate... it cracked. Now, since I live alone, I decided it's time to buy myself a new one

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Man, I can look at photos of Me for hours! Honestly, I love it!

I first saw Pasolini's Trilogy of Life in 1997. For the next few years it was only available on low quality video tapes and bootlegs, or $200 DVDs or similarly low quality. Since 2001 or so it hasn't been available at all, even bootlegs being hard to find. On many occasions I'd even considered buying these terrible versions at rare eBay prices. But a few days ago, Criterion gave it the full restored Blu-ray treatment, and it is spectacular:

A record player that hooks up through USB to a computer that allows me to digitize my, hopefully soon to be growing, record collection.

I bought it with the combined intention of finally having a convenient way of playing my records, storing them digitally for on-the-go listening, and the catalyst for the purchase: giving my girlfriend's mother an early Christmas present, of getting a far better recording of her dead mother's old German Christmas records (dated from the 1930's, which were hand-recorded onto cassette, and were severely deteriorated).

Edited by Zeviander (11/20/1204:00 PM)

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"Man can focus his mind to a full, active, purposefully directed awareness of reality - or he can unfocus it and let himself drift in a semiconscious daze..." ~ Ayn Rand